Latest news with #Siren'sCurse
Newsweek
a day ago
- General
- Newsweek
Siren's Curse, America's 'Scariest' New Rollercoaster, Keeps Malfunctioning
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The latest malfunction aboard the nation's tallest, longest and fastest "tilt" rollercoaster should prompt a lengthy safety review at Cedar Point in Ohio, one concerned visitor said Monday. Heather Hammond-Semak, 50, captured the latest drama involving Siren's Curse while sitting in a car with her boyfriend Saturday outside the amusement park in Sandusky as riders evacuated from the 160-foot rollercoaster billed by park officials as a "sinister" two minutes for courageous thrill-seekers. But dozens of riders soon found themselves stranded as the coaster prepared to plunge to speeds up to 58 m.p.h,, forcing occupants to use emergency stairs to walk to safety below. The harrowing incident marked the fifth malfunction since the ride opened to the public on June 28. Riders evacuate from Siren's Curse on July 28 at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, marking the fifth malfunction of the rollercoaster since it opened to the public on June 28. Riders evacuate from Siren's Curse on July 28 at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, marking the fifth malfunction of the rollercoaster since it opened to the public on June 28. Heather Hammond-Semak "We just happened to notice people were climbing down the ride when I took the video," Hammond-Semak told Newsweek. Hammond-Semak, of Kalkaska, Michigan, said she couldn't believe what she saw next. "What the heck are they doing?" she recalled "Then I told my boyfriend that I have a bad fear of heights and anxiety. I get lightheaded and feel like passing out just climbing a ladder. If I had to climb down that ride grasping the railing, I would most certainly have went into a panic attack." Hammond-Semak couldn't see the facial expressions of any riders, but dozens were forced to walk down with assistance from park staff. The ride was shut down for nearly two hours, she said. Hammond-Semak called on Cedar Point officials to close Siren's Curse for an exhaustive safety review following the latest breakdown. "I would say shut it down fix the issues," she told Newsweek. "It's not safe." Hammond-Semak doesn't even ride rollercoasters but believes the spotty track record of Siren's Curse should be cause for concern. "But if I did, I most definitely would not ride that one," she said. Breaking News 🚨 Sirens Curse coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio malfunctioned again, forcing riders to walk down the track. This is the 4th incident since the ride opened earlier this year. Video credit: Heather Hammond Semak. — Dave Bondy (@DaveBondyTV) July 27, 2025 Multiple messages seeking comment from Cedar Point officials were not returned Monday. A park spokesperson previously confirmed it experienced its fourth major operational delay on July 22. The ride had been halted prior to engaging its tilt feature, park spokesman Tony Clark told the Akron Beacon Journal. The tilt is the ride's main attraction and involves a segment of the track tilting forward 90-degrees to give riders the sensation of free falling. "Its safety system performed as designed, but the ride could not be restarted," Clark said. "Guests were safely escorted off the ride." The coaster was also delayed on July 19, leaving passengers hanging at a 45-degree angle for about 20 minutes. Other incidents were also reported during the coaster's opening weekend and on July 2, the Journal reported. No injuries have been reported in the incidents. The ride's safety system had responded as designed, Clark said. "This was a standard check engine light type of delay, similar to all of our other rides," he said of the July 22 incident. Footage of Saturday's evacuation went viral online, but some rollercoaster aficionados say Siren's Curse is a thrilling and safe way to get adrenaline pumping. "The ride is super exciting, it's the first of its kind in North America," said Alexander Mundy, communications coordinator for the Melanin Coaster Network, a community of coaster enthusiasts. "It is impressive looking and there's a twisty track with inversions that you can walk under as you go into the queue line and locker area." Mundy, 48, said he experienced the ride five or six times since it opened and plans to return next month for National Rollercoaster Day on August 16. "You go there until the end of the track and there's no track in front of you and it pauses for a few moments," Mundy told Newsweek of the ride. "It's probably like 10 seconds total where it stops and then it tilts up 90 degrees, so you are facing straight down and you see the track ahead of you. It's an incredible experience. You have this moment of anticipation, nervousness — and then at the snap of a finger, you're into it and it goes really fast." Cedar Point announced details of Siren's Curse last September, previewing the ride featuring 2,966 feet of track, 13 "weightless airtime moments," two 360-degree barrel rolls and the dramatic tilt feature. "Record-breaking thrills have always been at the heart of Cedar Point's roller coaster lineup, and Siren's Curse lives up to that standard," Cedar Point vice president and general manager Carrie Boldman said in a statement. "The entire ride is an experience filled with non-stop action, but that first precarious tilted position where you're hanging on – looking straight down – and waiting for the track to connect will be a signature moment our fans will love. It's a first-of-its kind for Cedar Point and we're thrilled to bring it to our guests."
UPI
a day ago
- General
- UPI
Cedar Point coaster strands riders for a fourth time in one month
July 28 (UPI) -- Siren's Curse, the newest thrill ride at Ohio's Cedar Point amusement park, stranded riders temporarily for at least the fourth time since it opened at the end of June. The ride is the first so-called tilt coaster in the United States, featuring a section track that disconnects from its starting position, turns 90 degrees and attaches to a steep decline track. Park officials confirmed to the Akron Beacon-Journal that the ride came to a stop mid-tilt on Tuesday. Spokesman Tony Clark compared the issue to a "check-engine light." "The coaster's safety system performed as designed, the ride was restarted, and guests continued their ride. It reopened shortly after and all guests exited the ride safely," he said. Siren's Curse had previously stranded riders July 19, July 2 and June 28, its first day of public operation. No injuries were reported from any of the incidents.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Cedar Point's ‘Siren's Curse' rollercoaster breaks down for 4th time since opening, forcing riders to scale down 160-foot tall curve: video
Siren's cursed? A stomach-dropping video shows riders on Cedar Point's 'Siren's Curse' rollercoaster inching down the towering 160-foot-high tracks to safety after it broke down for the fourth time last Tuesday since opening in late June. The ride at the Ohio amusement park skidded to a halt shortly after climbing up the skyhigh tower at the very beginning of the rollercoaster — a small mercy for the passengers who could've otherwise gotten stuck upside down or dangling over the edge. 4 Cedar Point's 'Siren's Curse' broke down for a fourth time last Tuesday. Heather Hammond Semak The 'delay' was caused by the rollercoaster's safety system halting the ride before engaging its signature tilt feature that dangles riders over the midway point while the coaster shifts to attach to the track below, a spokesperson with the amusement park told the Akron Beacon Journal. 'Its safety system performed as designed, but the ride could not be restarted. Guests were safely escorted off the ride,' the spokesperson said. 4 The ride opened to the public on June 28. Craig Webb / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images But for some riders, the walk off the coaster may have been more terrifying than the imposing loop-de-loops. A video shared on X Saturday showed the group of riders slowly inching down the evacuation stairs alongside the 160-foot incline as they clung onto the railing for dear life. Breaking News 🚨 Sirens Curse coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio malfunctioned again, forcing riders to walk down the track. This is the 4th incident since the ride opened earlier this year. Video credit: Heather Hammond Semak. — Dave Bondy (@DaveBondyTV) July 27, 2025 The abandoned coaster sat on the flat portion of the tower multiple yards away. One pair of passengers in the middle of the line wasn't budging, seemingly paralyzed by fear while the rest of the riders bottlenecked behind them. 4 The passengers had to scale down the evacuation stairs. Heather Hammond Semak 'That walk down is definitely 10 times scarier than actually riding the ride,' one user commented. 'i'm scared of heights. so if this happened to me, my bones would've melted, and there would nothing be left of me but a blob of skin,' another added. The sensors have plagued the coaster, the tallest, longest and fastest of its kind in the country, since its opening. It has inexplicably halted the rollercoaster at odd spots four times now. 4 On its opening day, a power outage stopped the ride and left passengers dangling over the ledge for 10 minutes. Craig Webb / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images On its very first day open to the public, a power outage brought the coaster to a screeching halt, leaving the passengers dangling over one of its signature ledges for 10 minutes. Then, on July 2, it stopped on the 160-foot platform for the first time, leaving passengers to descend down the evacuation stairs. On July 19, it broke down a third time while tilted on a 45-degree angle for roughly 20 minutes before it resumed.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Cedar Point's new Siren's Curse coaster strands riders again. How often is the ride down?
It happened again. For the second time in less than a week, Cedar Point's new record-breaking roller coaster left riders stranded high above the park's Midway. Siren's Curse abruptly stopped atop its 160-foot-tall tower. Park spokesman Tony Clark said the "delay" on Tuesday, July 22, was the result of the coaster's safety system halting the ride before engaging its signature tilt feature where riders dangle over the Midway while the coaster attaches to the track below. "Its safety system performed as designed, but the ride could not be restarted," Clark said. "Guests were safely escorted off the ride." At least three other incidents have been reported at the coaster, which opened June 28, less than a month before the incidents. While it's not unusual for new attractions to experience hiccups, coaster incidents always attract extra attention. So, how frequently is Siren's Curse down? Here's what to know. Siren's Curse uptime statistics Since its opening, Siren's Curse has been running about 85% of the time during the theme park's operating hours, according to statistics at Ride Forces Database. The roller coaster's longest downtime so far has been on July 16, when it was running for only 60% of Cedar Point's day. Are theme park rides safe? What you should know if you're worried How many times has Siren's Curse gotten stuck? It's happened at least four times, including the night of July 22. The first time it happened was on its opening day, when the Siren's Curse stopped with the tilt coaster in its vertical position, leaving passengers pointing straight down for about 10 minutes. It happened again on July 2, when passengers had to walk down from the 160-foot platform after the ride stopped, leaving them seated (but not tilted) for about an hour. Then on July 19, Siren's Curse got stuck mid-ride, leaving passengers stranded at about a 45-degree angle on the tilt for 20 minutes until the ride was restarted. "The coaster's safety system performed as designed, the ride was restarted, and guests continued their ride," Clark said at the time. "It reopened shortly after and all guests exited the ride safely." What to know about Siren's Curse The newest addition to the Sandusky theme park is billed as the tallest, fastest and longest tilt roller coaster in North America. The name "Siren's Curse" comes from the mythical sirens who reside in Lake Erie and lure sailors with their singing. After riders ascend the 160-foot lift hill, they stop on the edge of a piece of "broken" track. Suddenly, that piece of track tilts 90 degrees, connecting to more track below before sending riders straight down. In all, riders travel 2,966 feet of track at a top speed of 58 mph. The ride features 13 instances of weightlessness (called airtime moments) along with two 360-degree, zero-gravity barrel rolls and a high-speed 'triple-down' element with twisted and overbanked track.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Scary new 'Siren's Curse' coaster breaks down AGAIN leaving riders trapped on ultra-tall thrill ride
A newly opened rollercoaster malfunctioned for the third time in just a few weeks, leaving visitors stuck for nearly 20 minutes. Siren's Curse, located in Sandusky, Ohio, left guests dangling at the top of its 160-foot-tall tilt tower on Saturday night. Those onboard over the weekend were left stranded at a 45-degree angle for around 20 minutes, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. A spokesman said: 'The coaster's safety system performed as designed, the ride was restarted, and guests continued their ride. It reopened shortly after and all guests exited the ride safely.' The delay happened in the midst of the main event of the ride, when the coaster cart stops on a tilt hill before it is precariously tilted down to the tracks below. The track then connects, and the train plunges through 2,966 feet of twisted track at speeds of up to 58 mph. Since opening on June 28, it has malfunctioned three times, with reports indicating riders were stuck for ten minutes on its opening weekend. On July 2 it malfunctioned again when it stopped just before it started to tilt, passengers had to evacuate using stairs. The mythical-themed attraction is inspired from the legend and lore of mysterious creatures living beneath the surface of Lake Erie, where the park is located on a peninsula. A description of the read said: ''Come face-to-face with 13 weightless airtime moments, two 360-degree, zero-gravity barrel rolls and a high-speed "triple-down" element with twisted and overbanked track.' Further advice regarding health and safety reads: 'Riders will experience changes in speed and direction, weightlessness, and rapid movements from side to side. 'A shoulder harness with a between-the-legs safety belt secures each rider over the head and across the chest.' Thrill seekers expressed their delight around the coaster after official footage of it being tested was shared online. The clip had drawn thousands of view, with many referencing spine-tingling 'accident' scenes from the cult horror franchise, Final Destination. One person wrote, 'I love roller coasters and I love Cedar Point, but I'm not doing a disconnected track,' while another added, 'I prefer the tracks to be attached at all times.' A third exclaimed, 'THATS THE BIGGEST NOPE I CAN NOPE,' while another quipped, 'What's the name of this roller coaster??? The Brink of Death?'
